Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1475102
23 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE can connect them to resources, like food pantries and other social services. Without the screenings, these health needs might go undis- cussed, which could render the patient's visit less effective overall. "If a patient is having a difficult time with their housing or with their food — such basic needs in life — it doesn't matter what you want to address in their healthcare. Most of it is going to go over their head because their basic needs aren't met," Dr. Allen said. Patients realize healthcare providers alone can't directly solve some of these issues, but they may not know how well connected their care teams are to community resources. Screenings at least provide a starting point. "It takes almost nothing for me to make a couple phone calls or to make one call to my social worker, who can then make a couple calls on behalf of my patient. Honestly, that may do so much more for their health than the prescription that we so desperately think that they need," Dr. Allen said. e extra upfront effort helps get ahead of worsening healthcare conditions in the future, benefiting patients and providers. "If we can help to optimize those environments in partnership with patients, then we can hopefully get at some of the more root causes instead of waiting until the end of the line to try to treat a disease," said Dr. Chang. "[Providers] may be surprised that just a short conversation about it can help them be a better doctor or provider." n Why PAs aren't using the term 'physician associate' yet By Mackenzie Bean T he American Academy of Physician Assistants has officially changed its name to the American Academy of Physician Associates as part of a larger rebranding effort for the profession, but the association is not advising PAs to use the new term in a professional capacity yet. In May 2021, the AAPA voted to adopt "physician associate" as the official title for the PA profession. The change came about three years after the academy hired a healthcare marketing research and branding firm to determine the best title and marketing strategy for the profession. "Changing the title addresses a common misper- ception that PAs only 'assist' physicians, when in fact PAs are highly educated medical professionals who provide value in delivering high-quality, team-based healthcare," a spokesperson for AAPA told Becker's, noting that 71 percent of patients and 61 percent of physicians agreed the term better matches a PA's job description in a survey conducted by Kantar Research. News of the rebranding was met with opposition from several medical groups, including the American Medi- cal Association and American Osteopathic Association. The groups argued that the new term would confuse patients, undermine the physician-led care team model and violate state laws regarding truth in advertising. While AAPA has officially rebranded, the organization is not recommending PAs use the term in clinical practice yet, per guidance from its legal counsel. "PAs should continue to use 'physician assistant' or 'PA' as their official legal title in a professional capacity, par- ticularly in clinical settings and with patients, until the jurisdiction governing their licensure and practice has formally adopted the title of 'physician associate,'" the association said in a frequently asked questions page on its website. The group said updating the profession's legal title at the state and federal levels will be a long-term process, and that it will continue to use both terms across its website and digital platforms. "Title change implementation is a complex undertak- ing that will take time to wholly implement," AAPA said. "Given the number of platforms and assets to be updated, the variety of audiences they reach, as well as legal considerations, it is expected that both terms (physician assistant and physician associate) will be used on the website for years." n The secondary crisis linked to hospitals' visitor restrictions By Cailey Gleeson N early two-thirds of family members restricted from visiting COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units suffered from stress-related disorders three months after the hospitalization, a study published April 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine found. Researchers surveyed 330 family members three months af- ter their relatives were admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Patients were admitted between Feb. 1 and July 31, 2020, at 12 facilities in five states. Higher post-traumatic stress disorder symptom scores were associated with female gender, Hispanic ethnicity and previous psychiatric condition medication use. Those reporting higher scores more commonly described distrust and concern about taking clinicians' information at face value without being present. Researchers said 30 percent of family members of ICU patients reported stress-related disorders before the pandemic. Noted limitations of the study include the risk of recall bias given the timeline of the survey and lack of ability to assume a causal relationship given the observational nature of the study. n